The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-05-11
WHOLE NO. 1869.
A SightIess Murderer.

Blind musicians, blind Toms and
blind preachers we often hear Of, but
blind murderer is indeed rarity. such
a person is now confined in the Seneca
county, Ohio, Jail Charles X. Gaines
was born in Sycamore, Wyandott county,
Ohio, fifty years ago. At the age Of four
years heone day wandered from the door
yard to the barn, where his attention was
attracted by litter Of pigs. This struck
his fancy and be at once appropriated
one, and this so enraged It's mother that
she rushed at him, and before his SCREAMS
could attract help, the enraged brute had
eaten out his eyes. The child was rescued
and recovered, though his eyeballs were
entirely gone. In a few years he had de-
yeloped a remarkable sensitiyeness Of
touch, smell and hearing He had
strong tendency to preeOciJusness, and
before he had grown up became the ter
ror of the neighborhOod. He would wan
der about night and day without guide,
and was never known to get lost. He
knew where every melon patch was,
where the best apples, peaches and pluns
grew, and where the first berries ripened
and was never backward about helping
himself TO these or any other delica-
cies.
While yet boy he was presented with
a pair of game chickens by an old minis
ter named Spofiord who resided at Syca-
more. The blind boy took great interest
in these chickens, and raised more. Ii
was not long It'll he had several game
cocks trained for fighting, and would
take them about the country 10 pit against
others. lie would bet on his ftvOrite and
nobody could fool him about the result
Standing among the crowd he always
knew whether his chickens were getting
the worst or the best Of the fight
As he grew to manhood he learned to
drink whisky, and became ugly and quar-
relsome. In fight he was no mean OPP
ponent, as he struck straight from the
shoulder and hit his man every time.
He learned the trade of broom-making,
and at an early age moved to the village
of Melmore, Ohio. where he piled his vo-
cation,
In 1871 Medora Sprague. Il pretty girl,
was graduated from the Tifiin High
School, and became teacher In the
course of the following three years this
young lady visited friends at Melmore
Here she saw Gaines, and, though he
was repulsive in appearance, she pitied
him, and it seems her pity was akin to
love, for on August n, 1870, Gaines APP
peared before the probate court and took
out marriage license for himself and
Medora Sprague, and -four days later they
were married. They settled down to
married life in Melmore, ard 10 all ap-
pearanees were happy and contented.
Two bright. pretty daughters were born
and quieted down and went to work, oft
en- walking! 10 the city of Tifiin, dis
tance of eight miles, to sell brooms. After
time he took to drink again, and be-
came abusive The Presbyterians then
got hold of him and he quit drinking,
joined the church and made many elo-
quent temperance speeches, greatly NOV
ing his audience Many are the strange
things he has done. The writer has seen
him on steep roof mailing ON shingles
and working as well and as fast as the
next man. He could find his way with
perfect ease anywhere, could recognize
an acquaintance at some distance hefore
he spoke, rode horseback recklessly, and
played the violin finely.
His career as temperance advocate
was short, for he soon went back to drink
ing and abusing his wife and children.
The climax was reached last August,
when he went on a protracted spree, and
his wife ordered the saloonkeeper not to
sell him any liquor. The next day, Au-
gust 10, Gaines and his nephew, Nathan
Echelbery, got drunk on hard cider, and
then went 10 the saloon and demanded
whisky. Failing to get it they left and
tried TO borrow revolver but could not
getone. They then returned 10 the sa-
loon, each with large stone, and again
being refused whisky they killed the sa-
loonkeeper with stones. The police ar
rested Gaines in the cane field, and he
vas brought in hatless, coatless, shoeless
and eyeless, with long hair hanging over
his shoulders, and being six feet tall, he
looked ike wild man. For eightmonths
he has sat in Jail, amusing himself with
his violin. His trial will take place at
the May term of court.